The described invention relates in general to terminal clips or fastening devices for the terminals of electrical conductors and more specifically to a spring-loaded contact for use with electrical conductors.
Spring-loaded electrical contacts or terminals are devices that are frequently incorporated into connector systems used with electrical conductors (e.g., electrical wire). Such electrical contacts may be used with either stranded or solid wire for providing a convenient and mechanically secure means by which to terminate the wire prior to making an electrical connection. Despite its widespread adoption, this type of electrical contact does suffer from a number of significant limitations. Particularly, many of these contacts have multiple-piece construction, which adds complexity and expense to the manufacturing process. Additionally, most prior art contacts of this type require high insertion force; therefore, the risk of buckling a wire (particularly stranded wire) during the termination process is significant. Finally, most prior art contacts of this type are not designed to accommodate different gauges of wire; thus, different size contacts are necessary for different gauges of wire. Thus, there is an ongoing need for an electrical contact having a single-piece construction and that is capable of easily accommodating multiple wire gauges that may or may not include multiple strands.